East Falkland Islands – Stanley

We have a full day to explore Stanley.  A massive fuel tanker has pulled up alongside our ship and started the 10 hour process of refuelling while we go explore!    At breakfast we are given instructions about the landing procedures for Stanley.  There is a chance there may be gale force winds later on this afternoon, so we are asked to pay attention.

  In the event the winds pick up, the excursion will be called off and the ships horn sounded as a signal for us to return to the zodiacs.  In this part of the world, it is quite common to have four seasons in one day, and one must act accordingly.

Rows of brightly coloured houses greet us as we pull ashore.  Bricks are expensive to ship out here and the local stone difficult to quarry, so houses have been built with timber from the many shipwrecks that happened in these waters and roofs constructed with corrugated iron.  The bright colours of these houses add a vibrancy to a place that must seem very harsh, when the wind is blowing a gale and the weather is down below freezing.  The weather is not too bad but we rug up  nevertheless in case the gale hits.  On landing at Stanley, a few of us hire local transport by way of a land rover to drive us to Gypsy Cove.  In the group is Leah, Sue and Angela.  We have all become great friends now and seem to hang out a lot together at outings and at mealtimes.

Gypsy Cove is a great place for viewing magellanic penguins.  As we walk down the path and come upon the beach, I am awed by its beauty and then really saddened by the fence around it.Most of the beaches were mined by the Argentineans during the 1982 conflict.  The beaches have not been declared safe as yet and hence are closed off to visitors.  The magellanic penguins tread so lightly, they do not setoff the mines, and thankfully never stopped using the beaches. 

There are thousands of penguins on the beach and we stand and stare for ever.  As we scan the beach with our eyes, Angela spots a sea lion chasing more than a dozen penguins babies.  Most of them scamper into the ocean but as we strain our eyes we see he has caught his supper.  We watch nature at work, feeling a strange mix of emotions that range from fascination to sadness for the poor penguin whose journey was over even before it began.    

We walk up the hill and then back to our vehicle.  It is time to explore Stanley. 

The coast of Stanley is dotted with old shipwrecks and ships that were abandoned.  This was a busy place during the California gold rush as many ships rounding Cape Horn stopped off here.  The Falklands came into their own then and gained international prominence and attention.

The beaches are stunning and look so peaceful now.  A browse in the museum and the Falkland War Memorial reminds us of the ‘82 conflict and the many British and Argentinean men who lost their lives.

We have spent most of the afternoon wandering the streets and getting a sense of this place.  I feel the sense of British pride and get an understanding of why they fought so hard to hold on to this piece of land, so far away from home.

By chance, we come across a reindeer tethered in the back garden on a residence, reminding us how very different life was out here.

We need to get back to the zodiac by 3pm but Angela and I decide to go in search of the cemetery before we call it a day.  A couple of friendly locals offer us a lift, which we gratefully accept. 

It is a historic place, still in use today with its centrepiece, the Cross of Sacrifice reminding us of the islanders who lost their lives during the world wars.  Angela and I discuss the concept of burying our dead and wonder why more people don’t choose to be cremated.  Personally, I think  perhaps it’s time for us to do away with this ancient practice, despite our need to preserve our history and cremate our bodies instead.  I love the idea of having my ashes scattered in a place I once roamed, and the bush behind my house springs to mind as an example.  Today, when space is at such a premium, is it a useful exercise to sterilise so much of it?  The chemicals used in the process of preservation is causing contamination of our water and soil.  For me, the memory of loved ones who have moved on is not contained at a grave yard, but rather live on in my heart forever.

It’s time to wander back.  The ride back is choppy but the gale force winds have held back and we return to our ship, happy to have discovered what life on the Falkland Islands is like.    

 “The luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants which they themselves create. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 1911 Hut Point, Antarctica